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University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


A  CENTO  OF 
APHORKSMiS 
REAiSONABLY 
RHYMED-  - 

BY-     -    *    • 

LORENZO  cSSOSSQ 

DESlGKf  BY  HAH9HALL  DOUGLAS. 

•  HPCCCCIV    - 


Copyright 

A.  M.  ROBERTSON 

San  Francisco 

1903 


First  edition,  January,  1904 
Second  edition,  October,  1904 


57/4 


TO     MY    MOTHER 
A   little   offering   for   a   great    love. 


PREFACE 

Alas!  for  the  fate  of  the  social  reformer, 
Who  finding  things  warm  only  makes  things 
warmer. 

IT  was  from  the  mouth  of  the  garrulous 
Polonlus  that  Shakespeare  let  fall  one  of 
those  Inestimable  pearls  of  wisdom  where 
with  his  genius  was  so  lavishly  endowed: 
"Brevity  is  the  soul  of  wit."  O,  brilliant 
truth!  And  as  condensation  Is  the  highest 
attainment  In  the  art  of  literary  expression, 
whether  rhythmical  or  rhetorical,  so  over  the 
portal  leading  to  the  temple  of  Fame  are 
carven  in  letters  of  gold  the  words  MULTUM 
IN  PARVO. 

Of  late  there  has  been  a  plethora  of  Pro 
verbs.  Some  perverted  from  their  proper 
use;  Some  cynically  (and  scenically)  present 
ed,  to  be  calendered  for  all  time;  some  the 
whimsies  of  a  frivolous  mind;  some  evisce 
rated  of  all  wit;  others  the  evaporation  of 
wisdom  condensed  Into  a  drop  of  fancy, 

The  author  of  this  little  booklet  has  not 
attempted  to  rival  these  later  Solomons  In 
their  loquacious  utterances  for  the  benefit  of 
both  the  elect  and  unlnstructed.  Emerson  has 
stated  that  "Proverbs,  like  the  sacred  books 


of  each  nation  are  the  sanctuary  of  the  In 
tuitions."  They  are  also  an  epigrammatic 
epitome  of  the  common  sense  of  the  people, 
which  neither  the  wit  nor  the  Jester,  the 
satirist  nor  the  sage,  can  entirely  invalidate. 

And  there  are  no  wiser  commentaries  to  the 
prosaic  tomes  of  Time  than  those  proverbs 
which  the  peoples  of  all  nations  have  orig 
inated.  Indeed,  many  a  proverb  would  serve 
as  a  fitting  epitaph  for  mighty  empires  passed 
away. 

It  would  be  futile,  therefore,  for  the  writer 
of  these  pages  to  claim  absolute  originality 
for  his  production.  But  by  casting  them 
Into  a  rhythmical  form,  after  usages  of  east 
ern  nations,  It  is  hoped  they  may  be  easily 
memorized,  and  serve  the  apter  purpose  of 
quotation  for  the  minister,  the  lecturer,  the 
author,  the  orator,  the  lawyer,  the  publican, 
and  all  those  wiser  Philistines  of  our  day 
whose  modicum  of  morality  Is  dispensed  from 
their  philters  of  wit  one  drop  at  a  time. 

No  other  merit  Is  claimed, 

And  where   no  reward  is  expected,  no  rebuke 

should  attend, 
"With  which  moral  I  drop  my  theorbo,"  and 

come  to  an  end. 


Whenever  you  would  give  advice 
Be  not  too  liberal;  keep  a  slice. 


This  is  the  law  by  which  to  live: 
To  give  to  get,  to  get  to  give. 


No  want  of  will  will  always  be 
No  want  of  opportunity. 


It   will    not    help    your   feet   to 

mount 
To    look    upon    the    steps    and 

count. 


7Tis  not  the  luster  of  the  blade 
Which  makes  the  enemy  afraid. 


Politeness  may  not  make  a  man; 
Effrontery  surely  never  can. 


To  change  not  always  is  to  better; 
To  bend  is  not  to  break  the  fetter. 


Too  oft  the  hand  which  wears  a  glove 
Knows  neither  charity  nor  love. 


If  all  would  practice  what  they  preach 
There  would  be  no  one  left  to  teach. 


For  every  grain  of  common  sense 
The   heaps  of  folly  are   immense. 


Silence  hath  many  ways 
For  winning  Wisdom's  praise. 


Quickly  is  love's  duration  reckoned, 
With  woman  a  minute,  with  man  a 
second. 


How  great  their  folly  who  suppose 
The  thorn  adds  richness  to  the  rose. 


It  is  through  what  they  instigate 
Some  men  succeed  in  being  great. 


If  quality  be  nature's  law, 
Then    Jacob    still    should 
Esau. 


'Tis  those  who  trust  their  all  to 
Chance 

Who  think  fate  rules  each  cir 
cumstance. 

Lament    the    present,     not    the 

past, 
If  few   of    Fortune's    gifts    thou 

hast. 

Even  the  greatest  wisdom  fails 
When    weighing     love    in    even 
scales. 


Tis  deeper  wisdom  to  refrain 
Than    to    presume   to   speak    in 
vain. 

Make  of  Adversity  a  friend; 
Much  precious  lore  hath  she  to 
lend. 


Wisdom  begat  but  children  twain; 
And  one  is  Joy,  and  one  is  Pain. 


Seek  not  all  truth  within  a  well, 
The  stars  have  also  things  to  tell. 


We  always  play  the  game  to  win, 
We  never  think  about  the  sin. 


Folly  sometimes  an  audience  draws 
Where  Wisdom  vainly  pleads  its  cause 


Who  would  succeed  must  never  stack 
Too  many  burdens  on   his  back. 


Better  the  envy  of  the  witty 
Than  to  be  looked  upon  with  pity. 


A  compromise,  however  bad, 
Is  better  than  a  lawsuit  had. 


It  often  needs  two  swords  to  keep 
Another  in  its  sheath  asleep. 


We    may    die    with    thirst    at    the 

brink    of 
The   fountain    we   once  scorned  to 

drink  of. 


Millions  are  spent  for  pride; 

a  pence 
Suffices  for  benevolence. 


O  vain   pursuit;   to  angle  for  a 

fish 
Which  would  not  fill  the  poorest 

beggar's  dish. 

The  more  'tis  rainbows  that  we 

chase 
The    more    we    madden    in    the 

race. 

Think  not  all  playthings  are  for 

boys, 
The  oldest  dotard  hath  his  toys. 

Who  buys  nor  pays  for  what  he 

got 

[May  sell  what  he  would  rather 
not. 

The  youth  is  apt  to  scorn  at  age, 
[While  folly  envieth  the  sage. 


Ever/  one  at  least  a  pair 
Of  fool's  shoes  must  outwear. 


Who  goeth  softly  safely  goes; 
Wisdom  walks  on  velvet  toes. 


Sympathy  should  outrun 
The  fleet  steeds  of  the  sun. 


Vain  is  the  toil  of  any  man 
Who  endeth  not  what  he  began. 


There  are  some  fashions  fools  invent 
Which  wise  men  come  to  supplement. 


Sessions  presided  o'er  by  hate 
Never  see  cause  to  arbitrate. 


A   most  precarious   life  he  leads 
Who  judges  others  their  misdeeds. 


More  covetous  the  wish 
More  grievous  is  the  dish. 


Strong  are  the  legs  which  can  sup 
port 
Prosperity  of  every  sort. 


Let  not  the  wise  spurn  fools 

in  speech; 
Whom  better  could  their 

wisdom   teach? 


A  single  penny  fairly  got 

Is  worth  a  thousand  that  are  not. 


If  greatness  were  enough  for  one 
The  cow  would   soon   the   hare 
outrun. 


O  strange  that  this  should  ever 

be, 
The    bowl    drowns    more    than 

doth  the  sea! 


In    Life's    great    volume    every 

leaf 
Reveals  the  water-mark  of  Grief. 


Not  even  fate  can  claim  control 
Over  man's  fortitude  of  soul. 


Disputing  and  borrowing 
Cause  bitter  sorrowing. 


When  fools  have  come  to  blows 
Only  a  fool  will  interpose. 


A  sordid  thought 
Is  easily  bought. 


Love's  greatest  price 
Is   sacrifice. 


According  as  you  may  contrast 
The  petty  changes  to  the  vast. 


Tis  wise  to  drop  the  jest 
Then  when  it  pleases  best. 


Second   by   second   Time  proceeds, 
And  yet  he  sows  eternal  deeds. 


As  it  is  meted  thee  so  meter; 
This  were  a  law  for  Paul  or  Peter. 


Do   thou    good   deeds,    and    in   the 

doing 
Remember  they  will  bear  renewing. 


To-morrow's  wealth  can 
not  outweigh 

The  priceless  value  of  To 
day. 


The  opulence  of  a  spendthrift 
son 

Is  but  the  miser's  greed  out 
done. 


Folly  still  attends  the  birth 
Of  every  mortal  on  the  earth, 


That    wheel    the    fastest    in    its 

spoke 
Is  very  often  the  soonest  broke. 


Who  would  lick  honey  from  a 
thorn  * 

Will  soon  have  cause  enough  to 
mourn. 


The  singing  birds  among  the 

trees 
Sing   not  the   public  ear  to 

please. 


A  thousand  die  of  drinking  first 
Ere  one  will  die  of  bitter  thirst. 


Only  a  fool  will  care  to  boast 

Of  where  his  shoe  doth  pinch  the  most. 


These  are  the  things   which   we   can 

trust, 
Words  of  the  wise  and  counsels  of  the 

just. 


Companionship   in   all   distress 
Makes  tribulations  seem  the  less. 


Though  hand  and  heart  are  of  one  body 
both, 

The  hand  to  strike  the  heart  is  noth 
ing  loth. 


A  fool  however  young  in  years 
Knows  some  things  better  than  the 
seers. 


There  is  a  law  for  each  occasion; 
Another  law  for  its  evasion. 


Much   must  he  deal   in  courtesies 
Who  every  one  alike  would  please. 


A  hundred  years  of  slight 
Make  not  one  hour  of  Right. 


In  every  joyful  meeting    * 
Some  heart  may  be  with 
sorrow    beating. 


However  much  a  beggar  choose 
A  fortune  is  not  his  to  lose. 


Two  things  that  harmonize  and 

blend, 
A    sundial's    shadow,    a    fickle 

friend. 


How   foolish   for   the   sheep    to 

bleat 
When    they   the    butcher   go   to 

meet. 


The    earth    no    worse    a    water 

keeps 
Than  that  which  in  the  shadow 

sleeps. 


Courageous  hearts  far  less  will 

boast 
Than  those  in  want  of  courage 

most. 


Not  always  are  they  free  from  care 
Who  dance  unto  some  joyful  air. 


Vain     thought    to     make    the    wisest 

laugh, 
The  cow  thinks  she  was  ne'er  a  calf. 


A   landmark  good   protection   yields 
Though  placed  between  two  brothers' 
fields. 


Think  not  by  beating  of  a  drum 
That   fame    and   wealth    to    thee   will 
come. 


Pride  never  found  a  more  sumptuous 
niche 

Than  the  heart  of  a  beggar  grown  sud 
denly  rich. 


What  cause  have  wealthy  men  for 

pride? 
No    shrouds    bear    wallets    on    the 

side. 


The  coward  still  finds  cause  to  fear 
Though   peril  may  be  never  near. 


No  wind  is  good  of  any  sort 
To  him  who  steereth  for  no  port. 

The  lightest  burden  on  the  back 
Will  seem  in  time  a  heavy  sack. 


Birds      sometimes      their 

griefs   assuage 
By  bruising  wings  against 

their  cage. 


Who  buys  hath  always  eyes  too 

few; 
Who  sells,  one  eye  for  him  will 

do. 


Who  always  speak  do  only  sow; 
Who    listen    reap    what    others 
know. 


This   adage    learn   and    treasure 

long, 
Challenge    no    fool    to    do    thee 

wrong. 


Deeper  the  cut  that's  made   by 

pride 
Than    if  a   sword  should   pierce 

the  side. 


Like  glow-worms  sparkling  in  a 

pit, 
Our   spirits   gleam    awhile   then 

flit. 


When  care  of  time  is  set  adrift 

The  moments  then  seem  doubly  swift. 

Nought   which    the   wise    contemn    is 

worse 
Than   empty   head  with   heavy  purse. 

However  slow,  however  fast, 
The  river  still  keeps  flowing  past. 

Make  your  expenditure  to-day 
Not   what   you    would    but    what    you 
may. 


"Work  that  is  play,  and  play  that  is 

work"; 
The  wisdom  of  life  is,  neither  to  shirk. 


353? 

n 


GENERAL  LIBRARY  -  U.C.  BERKELE 


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